Stand-Alone Kitchen Module

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a stand-alone kitchen module including a main body having a substantially prismatic and rectangular shape, which includes integrated functional elements such as a refrigerator, sink, stove top, oven, drawers, tables and cabinets. The invention also includes a plurality of sections located on frames which can be horizontally and perpendicularly attached to the main body, such that, when the frames are extended, the sections form at least a first horizontal platform serving as a table and a second horizontal platform for cooking, including at least one stove top in one of said sections. The main body also includes at least one compartment in which a plurality of folding chairs are arranged, as well as autonomous water, gas and electricity installations, providing all the services of a conventional kitchen outdoors, ensuring full autonomy of said services and enabling the waste generated to be stored.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of this utility model application is to register astand-alone kitchen module incorporating significant innovations andadvantages.

More specifically, the invention relates to a stand-alone kitchen modulethat includes functional elements for cooking, work surfaces and a tablefor diners in sections that can be attached to a main body andautonomous water, gas and electricity installations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Kitchen modules for camping, characterised by their simplicity andreduced dimensions thereby making assembly and transport easier, arewell known. Nonetheless, the simplicity of these modules for campingimplies that they cannot be provided with resources for users to enjoyall the services of a conventional kitchen while engaging in leisureactivities outdoors. In addition, these reduced-dimension modules do nothave the necessary means to ensure sufficient autonomy for services,storage of waste generated or integration of tables and chairs.

On the other hand, kitchen modules for camping provided with all theservices of a conventional kitchen and with means ensuring full autonomyare known. However, these modules for camping are designed to serve alarge number of individuals, such as armies and companies. Due to thisdesign such modules include very large outer dimensions reducing theirconvenience and the design is not well suited to everyday domestic use,thereby dissuading individuals from using them.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention has been developed with the aim of providing astand-alone kitchen module that resolves the aforementioned drawbacks,further providing other additional advantages that will be apparent fromthe description detailed hereinafter.

In this document, the term folded shall mean that the various componentsof the module are not accessible to the user, and the term extendedshall mean that these components are accessible to the user.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide astand-alone kitchen module including a main body having a substantiallyprismatic and rectangular shape, which includes integrated functionalelements such as a refrigerator, sink, stove top, oven, drawers, tablesand cabinets, said kitchen module being characterised in that it alsoincludes a plurality of sections located on frames which can behorizontally and perpendicularly attached to the main body such thatwhen the frames are extended, the sections form at least a firsthorizontal platform serving as a table and a second horizontal platformfor cooking, including at least one stove top in one of said sections.

It is envisaged that the main body shall include at least onecompartment in which a plurality of folding chairs are arranged andautonomous water, gas and electricity installations. The waterinstallation includes pipes connected to a refillable potable watertank, a sullage tank, heating means for heating the potable waterincluding a gas heater and potable water pumping means, which caninclude an electric pump, to convey the water from the potable watertank to at least one outlet point. The gas installation in turn includesat least one portable gas tank located in a housing, where said gas tankis connected to piping to convey the gas to at least one outlet pointlocated in one of the sections to supply the stove top, a second pointfor the heating means, which can include a gas heater, and a third pointfor the oven.

The electricity installation advantageously includes at least oneelectric battery supplying electric power. Thanks to thesecharacteristics, a stand-alone kitchen module is obtained whoseconfiguration provides the user with all the services of a conventionalkitchen while engaging in leisure activities outdoors, ensuring fullautonomy of said services and enabling the waste generated to be stored.In addition, the simplicity and reduced dimensions of this stand-alonekitchen module facilitate use, cleaning, storage and transportation.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the sections are grouped intotwo wings extending in opposite directions to each other and which arearranged at different heights.

Additionally, the stand-alone kitchen module according to the inventioncan be located in a trailer provided with wheels and a hitch coupled toa towing vehicle, further making transportation and storage easier.

Other characteristics and advantages of the stand-alone kitchen moduleobject of the invention herein will be apparent from the description ofa preferred, although not exclusive embodiment, which is illustrated byway of non-limiting example in the drawings appended, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1.—Perspective view of a stand-alone kitchen module according tothe invention when the module is in a folded condition;

FIG. 2.—Lateral rear perspective view of the stand-alone kitchen modulewhen the module is in an extended condition;

FIG. 3.—Perspective view of the stand-alone kitchen module when themodule is in a folded condition, shown from the opposite side shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 4.—Lateral rear perspective view of the stand-alone kitchen modulewhen the module is in an extended condition, shown from the oppositeside shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5.—Top-down view of the stand-alone kitchen module when the moduleis in a folded condition; and

FIG. 6.—Top-down view of the stand-alone kitchen module when the moduleis in an extended condition.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

As shown in the attached figures, a preferred embodiment of thestand-alone kitchen module, object of the invention herein, isillustrated and indicated generally by reference number 1.

FIGS. 1 and 3 show the stand-alone kitchen module 1 including a mainbody 14 having a substantially prismatic and rectangular shape, when themodule is in a folded condition. As can be seen the stand-alone kitchenmodule 1 is preferably located in a trailer provided with wheels 13 anda hitch 12 coupled to a towing vehicle, making it possible to move thestand-alone kitchen module 1 with total convenience.

FIG. 2 shows said stand-alone kitchen module 1 when the frames areextended, in which a number of functional elements stand out such as arefrigerator 7, sink 5, stove top 4, oven, drawers 8 and compartment 6whose door is shown by broken lines and inside of which a plurality offolding chairs are arranged.

Said stand-alone kitchen module 1 advantageously includes a plurality ofsections 3 located on frames 15 and secured in a known manner; theframes 15 are horizontally and perpendicularly attached to the main body14. Therefore, when the frames are in an extended condition 15, saidsections 3 form two horizontal platforms, a first horizontal platformserving as a table 2 a for diners and another horizontal platform forcooking 2 b, including a stove top 4 in three of said sections 3.

In a preferred embodiment of the stand-alone kitchen module 1, thesections 3 are grouped into two wings extending in opposite directionsto each other, as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. The horizontal platformfor diners 2 a shall be arranged at a lower height than the horizontalplatform for cooking 2 b, thereby making food preparation easier andmaking it easier for diners to be properly seated.

The stand-alone kitchen module 1 is provided with autonomous water, gasand electricity installations. The water installation includes pipesconnected to a refillable potable water tank located in a housing 9, asullage tank also located in the housing 9, a gas heater for heating thepotable water located in a space 10, which is partially used as astorage cupboard and a potable water electric pump to convey the waterfrom the potable water tank to an outlet point located in the sink 5.

The gas installation includes in turn a portable gas tank located in astorage area 16. The gas tank is connected to pipes to convey the gas tothe first outlet points 17 located under the horizontal platform forcooking 2 b and from there to the stove top 4 positioned in the sections3, a second outlet point for the water heater and a third outlet pointfor the oven, not shown in the figures and which could occupy the placeof a cabinet. The electricity installation comprises an electric batterylocated in a housing 9 which supplies power to the refrigerator 7 andthe potable water electric pump located in the same housing 9. Theelectric battery can be connected to a 220V power source to recharge orsupply electric power directly.

The control panel 11 for installations, supplies and waste is shown inFIG. 4. Greater detail shall not be entered into in respect of theautonomous water, gas and electricity installations as the elementscomprising the installations are known on the market. FIGS. 5 and 6illustrate in turn two top-down views of the stand-alone kitchen module1 according to the invention, which clearly show the arrangement of themain body 14 and sections 3 grouped into two wings extending in oppositedirections to each other.

The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements as well asthe materials used in the manufacture of the stand-alone kitchen moduleof the invention may be conveniently replaced by others that aretechnically equivalent and do not depart from the essential nature ofthe invention or from the scope defined by the claims outlined below.

1. A stand-alone kitchen module including a main body having asubstantially prismatic and rectangular shape, which includes integratedfunctional elements selected from the group consisting of arefrigerator, sink, stove top, oven, drawers, tables and cabinetswherein the module comprises: a plurality of sections located on frames,which can be horizontally and perpendicularly attached to the main body,such that when the frames are in an extended condition, the sectionsform at least a first horizontal platform serving as a table and asecond horizontal platform for cooking, including at least one stove topin one of the sections; the main body also including at least onecompartment in which a plurality of folding chairs are arranged, as wellas autonomous water, gas and electricity installations; the waterinstallation comprising pipelines connected to a refillable potablewater tank, a sullage tank, a heater for heating the potable water and aportable water pump to convey water from the potable water tank to atleast one outlet point; p1 the gas installation having at least oneportable gas tank located in a housing, where the portable gas tank isconnected to piping to convey gas to at least one outlet point locatedin one of the sections, a second outlet point in the heater and a thirdoutlet point in an oven; and the electricity installation comprising atleast one electric battery supplying electric power.
 2. A stand-alonekitchen module according to claim 1, wherein the sections are groupedinto two wings extending in opposite directions to each other, atdifferent heights.
 3. A stand-alone kitchen module according to claim 1,wherein the heater is a gas heater.
 4. A stand-alone kitchen moduleaccording to claim 1, wherein the pump is an electric pump.
 5. Astand-alone kitchen module according to claim 1, wherein the module islocated in a trailer provided with a hitch coupled to a towing vehicle.